Powder compact and like box, or case for personal use



Feb. 1, 1955 H. WYNER 2,700,837

POWDER COMPACT AND LIKE BOX, OR CASE FOR PERSONAL USE Filed May 15, 1952ATTORNEXF United States Patent POWDER COMPACT AND LIKE BOX, OR CASE FORPERSONAL USE Harry Wyner, Hampstead, London, England Application May 15,1952, Serial No. 287,829

3 Claims. (Cl. 40-40) This invention relates to articles which requireto be provided with letters, numerals, or other markings, and soarranged that chosen markings may be exposed to view either at the willof the user, or may be exposed permanently to denote the owners name.For example, the invention is of special value in connection with powdercompacts and like boxes, or cases, for personal use, that is, articlesusually of an ornamental character, which may be carried about by theowner or at least are devoted to his or her personal use. Any sucharticle will be termed hereafter an article of the kind referred to.

It is highly desirable that such articles for personal use should carrythe initial or initials of the owner, not only for personalgratification and identification, but in the case of articles used forthe toilet, to ensure that they are not accidentally used by any oneelse. Moreover the sale of such articles is very much enhanced if theshopkeeper is able forthwith to provide an article bearing a suitableinitial. It is, however, out of the question for a shop to carry a largenumber of similar articles bearing different initials and even if a fairstock is carried, the dealer must search for the particular initial, andmay then be unable to meet-the customers requirements.

An object of the invention is to provide an article of the kind referredto which can be rapidly adapted to suit any demand for such an articlebearing a particular initial, or wherein any desired insignia can bereadily exposed to view.

According to the invention, there is provided an article of the kindreferred to comprising a rotatable disc-like plate bearing a successionof letters or other markings and mounted inside the article, e. g.within the lid of a compact, an aperture or window in the face of anaperture or window in the face of the article and a button or the likeattached to the plate and protruding through said face of the articlefor rotating the plate to bring any desired letter into position beneaththe aperture so that it is visible therethrough.

A detent may be provided to lock the plate in position, when the desiredletter is exposed at the window.

Means may be provided, as described in detail later, to render itdifiicult or impossible for an uninstructed person to alter the markingvisible through the window once the plate has been rotated to bring thedesired marking to the window.

Where two initials or other markings in particular juxtaposition aredesired, a second rotatable plate may be provided, and this may beconstituted by a ring-like member rotatable about the same axis as theaforesaid disc. A second window is, of course, provided.

The invention will be more fully described with reference to theaccompanying drawings which show its application to a powder compact.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan of the compact, partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of arrow A andpartly in section.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a modified form of theinvention.

Fig. 4 is also an elevation partly in section showing a modification toa detail.

Referring to the drawings,

1 is the base or powder container of the compact and 2 is the lid,hinged to the base at 3 and held by a snap catch at 4. An initial plate5 is rotatably mounted in 2,700,837 Patented Feb. 1, 1955 the lid. Theselids commonly have a mirror inside or, where this is not the case, theremay be an inner plate or wall to the lid. The outer wall of the lid isperforated, centrally at 6 with a circular hole of, sayone inch indiameter, through which a circular button 7 protrudes. The button isornamented in any desired manner to suit the style of the box, and tofacilitate rotation of the button for the purpose described below. Thereis a further perforation in the lid at 8 a little distance from the edgeof the button to form a window and this may be, of any desired shape.The button forms the centre of the disc-like plate 5 the edge of whichis divided into spaces in each of which is a letter of the alphabet or,as is shown in Fig. l the letters are equally spaced and so disposedthat one is always visible through the window formed by the perforation8. It will be apparent that if the disc 5 is rotated by turning thebutton 7, any desired letter can be brought to the window. To maintainthe button in position in the hole 6 in the lid, there is provided acompression spring 9 which presses against the inner face of the buttonand the back of the mirror, or the inner wall of the lid. and thus thedisc 5 is resiliently pressed against the inner face of the lid 2.

In order to hold the disc in position, after it has been rotated tobring the desired letter into position at the window, there is provideda detent consisting of a rivet, rivet-head, or like protuberance 10 onthe inner side of the lid, and capable of engaging in any one of aseries of holes or depressions 11 in the disc 5 see Fig. 1, and one inline with each letter. The depression may be longitudinal in shape tofacilitate engagement with the rivet or the like in the lid. Normally,the rivet 10 is resting in one such hole or depression, and if it isdesired to rotate the disc 5, it must first be depressed by pressure onthe button 7 to remove it from engagement with the rivet and whenrotation is finished the release of the button allows the disc to riseunder the pressure of the spring, and be locked by engagement of therivet in a hole, at the same time accurately indexing the position ofthe initial in relation to the window.

While the plate on which the letters are disposed has been described asdisc-like, it will be readily understood that this is merely aconvenient term and in practice the plate is, as illustrated, dished, orotherwise shaped, to agree with the local contour of the lid.

The upper end of the spring 9 which presses against the interior of thebutton may have a suitably shaped washer or the like 12 to contain it,and the button then has a corresponding dimple 13 in which the washer ishoused.

Referring now to Fig. 3 when two initials are required, the hole in thelid is made larger, and the button 7 is surrounded by a rotatable ring14. The ring is part of a disc-like plate 17 bearing letters, and theseare visible through a window 15 fairly near the edge of the hole in thelid. The central button then has its plate 5 of larger diameter and afurther window 16 is provided more remote from the edge of the hole 6.The plate 5 appertaining to the central button may be recessed ordepressed slightly as shown, to accommodate the disclike plate 15attached to the ring 14 so that both discs are in close contact with thelid interior at the parts which are visible through the respectivewindows. The ring 14 of the plate 17 is suitably shaped or ornamented sothat it can be readily rotated and a locking device is provided asbefore.

Each window may be ornamented or have its edges turned in or otherwiseshaped so that the initial window and surround all appear as part of thedecoration or pattern of the box.

The invention is also applicable to articles having a novelty orsouvenir appeal. For example, by using a larger window, or severalwindows, various views of a city might be exposed by rotating the knob.Or, on an appropriate article the discs might give information such as aseries of cocktail recipes, or the discs might hear dates and names ofthe days of the week, months and so forth, so that a perpetual calendaris provided. Such a device might be applied, for example, to a deskblotter.

Means may be provided to lock a disc permanently in position when thedesired marking is visible in a window,

to prevent an unauthorised person from altering'a marking, or the riskof confusion between owners of similar articles through unintentionaldisplacement of a disc. A suitable means for this purpose may consist ofmaking the spring 9 very stiff and the rivet 10 of a suitable length sothat a considerable depression of the button is necessary to free theinitial plate for rotation. In such a case only an instructed person,such as a saleswoman, would be prepared to exert the pressure necessaryto displace the plate sutficiently to allow it to turn and bring adifierent initial to the window.

In Fig. 4 the coiled spring 9 used in Figs. 1 to 3 is replaced by aspider-like spring 18 having in this case three arms 19.

It will be readily understood that the invention is applicable toarticles, forexample powder compacts, of any shape, for lids ofrectangular boxes as well as circular, and either domed as in case oflids for powder bowls, or fiat as in case of large cigarette boxes.

What I claim is:

1. An article of the kind referred to comprising, a rotatable disk-likeplate mounted inside the article and bearing markings arranged inannular succession concentric to the center of said plate, said articlehaving a circular aperture in one face and said plate having a companioncentral offset to fit snugly within said aperture and protrude slightlyabove said one face of the article, said central offset having acircular aperture, a second disklike plate of larger diameter than thefirst and bearing markings similar to the first, the annular row ofmarkings on said second plate having a radius greater than the radius ofsaid first plate, said second plate having a central offset to fitsmoothly within the aperture of the offset portion of said first plate,a spring seated in said offset portion of said second plate to yieldablyhold said offset portion of the second plate seated in the aperture inthe first plate and the offset portion of the first plate seated in theaperture in the article, and a pair of windows in said one face of thearticle through which selected ones of the successive markings on therespective plates will be visible upon rotation of the plates.

2. In an article as claimed in claim 1, means to hold the respectiveplates against rotation.

3. In an article as claimed in claim 1, an annular row of openings ineach of said plates, pins projecting from said article for engagement inthe openings of said rows, and said spring being of such strength as tohold said plates against downward movement under normal pressuresexerted upon the ofiset portions of said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS657,834 Ruttman Sept. 11, 1900 2,492,891 Schall Dec. 27, 1949 2,565,557Guimond Aug. 28, 1951

